Savannah’s Southern House in Yorktown Heights (A Mini Review)

A new eatery from a family of Westchester restaurateurs

By Lynn Hazlewood

Southern comfort: Creamy, cheesy grits with shrimp and bacon

Photographs courtesy of Savannah’s Southern House

One of my discerning friends, a former food reviewer and a bang-up cook himself, reports that he and his spouse just tried a new restaurant in Yorktown Heights called Savannah's Southern House. “A misnomer, of course, because, technically, it should be Savannah's Northern House,” remarked my friend, who has forgiven them for their geographic imprecision because he liked the food so much. “I had a grits and shrimp dish that was gorgeous — creamy and rich and perfectly seasoned,” he says. “James had a spicy fried chicken that was ALMOST as good as mine. We also had great collards, fried green tomatoes and pork belly. Yum.”

Savannah’s Southern House (motto: American Comfort, Southern Charm) opened on Crompond Road in early April. It’s the latest venture of Gina and Paul DiPaterio, who own a couple of popular Italian eateries nearby and who decided it was time to cater to locals who’d been yearning for grits and biscuits and all like that. In a neat twist, Savannah’s is housed in a building where Gina’s aunt and uncle once ran an eatery called The Epicure.

The renovated space has a bar in the middle, wood floors, beadboard wainscot, and colorful art on the walls. “It’s comfortable, modern, cozy, warm and inviting,” says my friend, adding that there’s “a nice drinks list, and terrific beers on tap.” Oh, and a porch, where you can sip them when it’s warm out.

Executive chef Sean Lyons, who’s from Saratoga Springs, has worked in kitchens in Ireland, Boston, and more recently in North Carolina, which was where he took a shine to southern cuisine. He and the DiPaterios have assembled a roster of Low Country fare that ranges from “Table Shares” like catfish sticks, fried pickles and pulled-pork flatbread to rib-sticking mains such as chicken and peaches, Bourbon braised ribs, mac and cheese and meatloaf. Sides include mashed potatoes, collard greens with ham, sweet potato pecan casserole, and red beans and rice. A few dishes from other regions have snuck in, among them a Yankee strip steak, a fried Denver steak with panko breading, and chicken potpie, which I, as a transplanted Brit, think of as a transplanted British dish. There are a few BBQ plates, as well.

Light eaters could fill up on crab soup, or perhaps a shrimp po’boy sandwich. For dessert there are pies with seasonal fillings, apple or pecan jar pies (served in a mason jar), peach cobbler, bread pudding and sundaes. Yum, indeed.

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About This Blog

Lynn Hazlewood is the former editor of Hudson Valley Magazine and a frequent restaurant reviewer. A shameless booster of local eateries and food producers, she cooks from scratch, makes a terrific risotto, and hopes to live long enough to sample every good restaurant in the Valley.